Events Archives - indyencyclopedia.org

500 Festival

In 1957, four civic-minded businessmen–former Indianapolis mayor alex m. clark; Joe Quinn, Safety Director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; J. Worth Baker, Shrine Potentate in 1957; and Howard Wilcox, promotions… Read More »500 Festival

Brickyard 200

The Brickyard 200 began as the Brickyard 400, a 400-mile stock car race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race was sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto… Read More »Brickyard 200

Butler Relays

Founded by Butler University track coach Herman Phillips, the Butler Relays were a prestigious American track and field competition. Phillips had won three NCAA quarter-mile championships and was a member… Read More »Butler Relays

Circle City Classic

Circle City Classic is a weekend celebration of African American achievements, culminating in an annual football match between two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Patterned after the Bayou Classic… Read More »Circle City Classic

Indianapolis 500-Mile Race

Long known simply as the “500,” the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race has been conducted continuously at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since its inception in 1911, except for 1917-1918 and 1942-1945 when the… Read More »Indianapolis 500-Mile Race

Indianapolis/Scarborough Peace Games

In October 1972, Gene McFadden, an Indianapolis urban planner, and community development specialist, initiated the movement to enlist a Canadian counterpart willing to compete in a multisport event similar to… Read More »Indianapolis/Scarborough Peace Games

National Sports Festival IV

In 1978, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced its decision to implement a new national multi-sport event that would develop and prepare the athletes who would eventually represent the… Read More »National Sports Festival IV

NCAA Basketball Finals

By 2020, the city of Indianapolis had hosted the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament’s Final Four 7 times. The city’s ability to attract this prestigious… Read More »NCAA Basketball Finals

Professional All-Star Basketball Games

Indianapolis had hosted three professional basketball All-Star Games. The inaugural American Basketball Association (ABA) All-Star contest drew 10,872 fans to Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 9, 1968, to witness a 126-120… Read More »Professional All-Star Basketball Games

Soap Box Derby

The Indianapolis Soap Box Derby began in 1934, one year after the initial race was held in Dayton, Ohio. From 1934 to 1972, the Chevrolet Division of General Motors served… Read More »Soap Box Derby

A product of the Indianapolis Bicentennial effort (2020–21), the digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis integrates and accesses the explosion and fragmentation of knowledge created both as born-digital information and as a large new digital archive.

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